Papa John’s Owner Gets Caught Using the N Word

Papa John’s John Schnatter should have admitted racial bias and learned to do better

As president of an organization that has trained thousands of people in diversity and cultural competence, I am all too familiar with the racism displayed by John Schnatter, founder and chairman of Papa John’s Pizza, who resigned after using a racial slur on a company call. Like many public figures who find themselves in similar situations, he initially apologized and tried to present himself as a person free of prejudice.

Schnatter could have taken a lesson from Starbucks, which responded to a racist incident by admitting there was a problem and holding a company-wide anti-bias training. Such training, when done right, can weaken conscious and unconscious prejudices — and help people to have more empathy and respect for each other.